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RETRACTED: Adverse impacts of microplastics on soil physicochemical properties and crop health in agricultural systems
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This review paper, which has since been retracted, summarized how microplastics enter agricultural soils through plastic mulch, contaminated irrigation water, and compost, then disrupt soil health and crop production. The findings raised concerns about food safety, since microplastics in farm soil could accumulate in crops and potentially reach humans through the food chain.
• Reviews sources and pathways of microplastics in soil. • Examines toxic effects on soil health and plants. • Identifies knowledge gaps and future research areas. • Proposes strategies to mitigate agricultural pollution. The pervasive use of plastics has led to significant environmental concerns, particularly with microplastics emerging as a critical pollutant in agriculture. While existing studies have documented the accumulation of microplastics in various environments, this review distinctively focuses on agricultural soils as a critical endpoint for these contaminants. Unlike other reviews, we delve into the overview through which microplastics integrate into soil matrices and the subsequent implications for soil health and crop production. We examine the environmental sources, fate, and toxicity of microplastics within agricultural settings, highlighting unique pathways through which these materials enter the soil, such as plastic mulches, irrigation with contaminated water, and organic amendments like compost and sewage sludge. This review not only synthesizes current knowledge but also identifies significant knowledge gaps in understanding how microplastics interact with soil properties, microbial communities, and agricultural crops. These interactions are crucial for addressing food safety concerns and evaluating risks to human health through potential bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes. Furthermore, our findings aim to catalyse policy-making and practical solutions, proposing ways that the agricultural sector can adapt to reduce microplastic pollution. Addressing the issue of microplastic pollution in agriculture is essential not only for ensuring food security but also for protecting human health and maintaining environmental integrity. This review contributes uniquely by proposing a framework for future research and action, guiding stakeholders towards comprehensive solutions for a pressing global issue.
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Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: An Emerging Threat to Soil Health, Microbial Ecology, Crop Productivity, and Food Safety
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This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils from sources like plastic mulch, sewage sludge, and atmospheric deposition. Researchers found that these particles can disrupt soil microbial communities, harm plant health, and potentially enter the human food chain. The study highlights the urgent need for mitigation strategies to address this growing but often overlooked form of pollution in farmland.
Microplastic contamination in the agricultural soil—mitigation strategies, heavy metals contamination, and impact on human health: a review
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This review examines how microplastics contaminate agricultural soil through plastic mulch, irrigation water, and fertilizers, then alter soil chemistry, harm beneficial microorganisms, and reduce crop productivity. The authors highlight that microplastics can accumulate in crops and enter the human food chain, posing risks to food safety and human health, particularly through daily food and water consumption.
Activities of Microplastics (MPs) in Agricultural Soil: A Review of MPs Pollution from the Perspective of Agricultural Ecosystems
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This review summarizes the origins, migration, and fate of microplastics in agricultural soil ecosystems, identifying plastic mulch film, irrigation water, and organic fertilizers as major sources. The study highlights that microplastic accumulation in farmland can affect soil structure, microbial communities, and crop growth, with potential implications for food safety through the terrestrial food chain.
Microplastics in the agricultural soils: Pollution behavior and subsequent effects
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This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics accumulate in farmland through fertilizers, irrigation, plastic mulch, and atmospheric fallout. Microplastics change soil structure, harm beneficial microbes, and can be taken up by crops, moving through the food chain to humans. The authors emphasize that more research is needed to understand the long-term health risks of eating food grown in microplastic-contaminated soil.
Hazards Associated with Micro/Nano Plastics in Agricultural Soils
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This review examines the hazards of micro- and nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils, where plastics enter through mulching films, irrigation with contaminated water, and fertilizer application. The authors discuss how these particles can alter soil structure, affect microbial communities, and potentially transfer into crops that humans consume. The study highlights that agricultural soil contamination with microplastics is an underrecognized risk to both ecosystem health and food safety.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.